PARENTS have reacted with fury to comments by an education chief that pupils at small schools may have problems mixing with other children.

Hazel Harding made the claim after defending the controversial decision to close Tosside Primary School, Gisburn Forest, after the pupil numbers fell from 26 to nine in eight years.

Lancashire County Council's education sub-committee approved closure at a meeting on Wednesday. Villagers, parents and governors walked out of the meeting in disgust.

Now they are up in arms after Mrs Harding, education committee chairman, said the closure was for "compelling educational reasons" and suggested pupils from small schools experienced "problems of social interaction."

Coun Harding said: "Although it is never an easy decision to close a school, there were compelling educational reasons to do so in this case. We are committed to providing the best-quality education for all Lancashire pupils and it is difficult to ignore problems of social interaction caused by children mixing with only one or two pupils their own age." Villager Judith Carter said she was astonished by Coun Harding's remarks.

She said: "The school received an Ofsted inspection last year, when inspectors said pupils were benefiting from attending a small school. They were described as socially well-adapted and well-disciplined.

"If they do experience problems of social interaction, it is because, like most rural communities, Tosside is starved of facilities like parks and swimming pools that urban areas take for granted.

"And that is exactly why the school is so important.

"The committee has disregarded the needs of the community and the claim that closure is in the best interests of the children is completely spurious."

Coun Harding was unavailable for comment, but her deputy, John Fillif, said: "Studies show that children need interaction with those their own age and level of maturity.

"Pupils at Tosside will be attending secondary schools with perhaps 700 youngsters, which might lead to initial problems."

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